SJSU Special Collections & Archives: Historical Research Topics and Collections

The Robert Freimark Collection, 1952-2007 [bulk 1950-1960] is a small representation of the creative work of the San Francisco Bay Area artist. Friemark's work in abstract expressionism and figurative art reflects his interest in Mexican culture as well as social and political justice. The collection consists of 19 limited edition prints, lithographs and posters produced by Freimark over a 50-year time period.

The Royal Chicano Air Force Poster Collection was donated by artist and activist, Ricardo Favela in 2005. The Royal Chicano Air Force (RCAF), a Sacramento-based Chicano artist collective was established in 1969 by José Montoya, Esteban Villa, Juanishi Orosco, Ricardo Favela, and Rudy Cuellar. The collection consists of 188 posters produced by the founding members, as well as posters by Xico González and Manuel Rios dating from 2001 to 2005. The collection is arranged into a single series: Series I. Poster Art, 1971- 2005.

Related Collections:

Royal Chicano Air Force Archives, CEMA 8, Department of Special Collections, University Libraries, University of California, Santa Barbara.

The Royal Chicano Air Force posters, 1970-1980, MSS 2001/05. Department of Special Collections and University Archives, California State University, Sacramento.

Artist Friedolin Kessler (1913-1995) was born in St. Louis, Missouri and studied art at Washington University in St. Louis. Following art school he settled in California, initially working as an artist for the Civil Conservation Corps (CCC). With his wife Carol, he co-founded the San Jose Art League, and taught art at San Jose State and Stanford. The Friedolin Kessler Art Collection represents some of the art work he produced over his life-time. The collection consists of 35 10x8 linoleum block prints, 4 12-14, linoleum block prints, a California Mission Greeting Cards book consisting of 21 6x8 linoleum prints of all of the missions in the state, and four exhibit poster boards highlighting the work of the San Jose Art League through Mercury News Clippings dated between 1940-1977.

The Japanese Woodblock Prints and Brush Paintings Collection consists of thirty-four color woodblock prints by Japanese artists from the early 1700s to the mid 1900s in the ukiyo-e tradition. Prints in this collection include the works of masters of ukiyo-e, such as Kitagawa Utamaro (1753-1806), Katsushika Hokusai (1760-1849), Toyokuni Utagawa (1769-1825), and Kuniyoshi Utagawa (1797-1861). Subjects of these prints include beautiful women, kabuki actors, landscapes, plants and animals, and scenes of everyday life. Included in this collection are three brush paintings created by artist Shuho Kawashima, a student at San Jose State College in 1958. Kawashima painted the three works while a student in Dr. Esther Shephard's Oriental Literature (English 119) class.

Sol Kent Carson was born June 7, 1917. He attended the Tyler School of Fine Arts and studied under Boris Blai the founding Dean of the School of Art. While a student, Carson began his career as a printmaker and oil painter working for the WPA in the 1930s, where he learned his craft with other fellow artists. He served as the Director of Visual Education at Temple University for many years before moving to California in 1962. His landscape oil paintings present the fluidity of natural environment with dramatic color combinations. Most of the ink lithographs draw from his Jewish heritage and African American culture. Carson resides in Los Gatos, California. This collection consists of three framed etchings, twenty one unframed etchings, and one etching plate. Subjects include portraits, and genre scenes. Each etching was made using a metal plate and ink.